Cairo — Two Egyptian security officials say that Cairo has received around 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers in the past two weeks, as Israeli media reports that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) has approved a military operation in Rafah. Al-Ghad News Agency reported that he said he had dispatched a group of people to northeastern Sinai.
Since the start of Israel's war in the strip, Egypt has been building a concrete border wall with foundations six meters deep and topped with barbed wire. Two Egyptian security officials also noted that Egypt has installed sand barriers and increased surveillance at border deployment sites.
But troops are being sent as Israel expands its military operations to include Rafah, where most of Gaza's residents have sought refuge, raising Egyptian concerns about the possibility of mass displacement.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Aronos reported that the IOF had approved the military operation in Rafah. Preparations for the operation began several weeks ago, and the IOF has already approved the plan, which includes the need for evacuation of displaced persons, the report said.
Meanwhile, the state-run Israel Broadcasting Corporation (IBPC) said military operations in Rafah would begin after a “massive evacuation” of civilians from the city and its suburbs was completed.
Notably, Israeli warplanes bombed Rafah on Friday, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the IOF to prepare for the evacuation of displaced people.
Satellite images taken in December and January 2023 reveal new construction along the 13-kilometre border near Rafah, with the wall extending to the edge of the sea on the northern border. Ta.
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